November 30, 2023
Manchester City's Jack Grealish gave young people from Manchester the surprise of a lifetime, when he turned up unannounced at the Etihad Stadium.
Unsuspecting City in the Community participants found Grealish hiding in a life-size version of his new ‘Funko-Pop!' toy, during a special stadium tour.
The surprise was arranged to celebrate the Manchester City's festive campaign, ‘The Greatest Season of All', which creates an opportunity for fans to come together with the Club to help empower healthier lives with city youth through football.
For every purchase a fan makes from a range of selected Christmas retail items, including the Jack Grealish ‘Funko-Pop!' toy, the Club will donate £5 to its charity, City in the Community (registered charity no. 1139229).
Manchester City is also trebling any additional donations made to the charity, to help increase overall funds up to the value of £75,000*.
Speaking after the surprise, Grealish said:
“I really like the design of the new toy – I think it looks like me with the beard and headband.
“Obviously it's also cool that if you buy one of these, you're also supporting City in the Community which is a really good thing.
“I really enjoyed meeting the young people today. I've visited the charity's sessions a few times before, so know first-hand the difference they make to people in Manchester.
“It makes me really proud to know that the Club is supporting this important work through its Christmas campaign.”
After spending time with the children Grealish gifted them all with a signed version of his new ‘Funko-Pop!' toy, which is available to purchase online and in store.
One teacher who accompanied City in the Community participants on the day said:
“I wanted to share a big thank you so much. The children and staff are still absolutely buzzing about the surprise, which was amazing!
“It's not often that you can give children a day they will literally never forget, but this was definitely one.”
Fans can donate at the tills in the stadium store, when checking out online during their purchase journey for match tickets, or via the charity's new monthly ‘City in the Community Prize Draw'.
All funds will go towards supporting City in the Community's programmes, which all aim to empower healthier lives with city youth through football.
City in the Community is also committed to supporting local people this Christmas. The charity will be delivering a calendar of activities throughout December, including special events for school children and senior residents, as well as donating £10,000 to organisations in Manchester who provide free Christmas Day meals for families who need it most. Elsewhere, staff across Manchester City and City in the Community will be volunteering their time at local charities.
Manchester City will also continue its annual support for the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital through donating gifts to children who are staying in hospital over the festive period.
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By Man City
